Basket.



H. P. GROSS, DECD.

R. BIGGS, ADMINISTRATOR.

BASKET.

APPLICATION FILED 0013. 1914.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

WITNESSES flgamh INVENTOR ATTO R N EY "an s ra rnsrarnnr tries.

HENRY P. GROSS, 01E BALTIMORE, MARYLAND; ROBERT BIGGS ADMINISTRATOR OF SAID GROSS, DECEASED. V

BASKET.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @et. in, rain.

Application filed October 3, 1914. Serial No. 864,939.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HExnY P. Gross, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Basket, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to baskets, and its object is to provide a'strengthening member for handled baskets whereby the handle is so effectively anchored to thebody of the basket and is so strengthened and re inforced as to maintain its hold in the body of the basket under circumstances which would ordinarily rend the handle therefrom.

In accordance with the present invention the handle may be of the usual hcop or bail form,v while the body ofthe basket is of woven form into which the ends of the handle core are usually inserted at opposite sides of the body of the basket. Bound on to the handle core there'is a metal member which maybe made of two wire strands twisted together through the mid portion of their length, the twisted part being about equal in length to the exposed portion of the handle between the sides of the basket. The two wiresfor the remaining portion of their length toward their ends are free or separate, and are individually twisted about the top and bottom rails of the basket body and are then carried along the bottom of the basket either to a common central rail or to other rails within the bottom portion of the basket, so that the wire strands are not only connected to the too and bottom rails of the sides of the basket, but underride the basket, thereby anchoring the sides from spreading at the bottomporti'on, and to a commensurate extent strengthening the whole structure.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical formof the invention. the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed and. modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective skeleton view of a basket showing the wire reinforcement member before application to the basket body. Fig. 3 is a plan view, more or less schematically displayed, showing the manner of connecting the extremities of the reinforcement member to a single mid rail in the bottom of the basket. Fig. l is a perspective view of a completed basket indicating the reinforcement in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a somewhat different mode of connecting the extremities of the wire reinforcement to the bottom of the basket.

Referring to the drawings, and first to Fig. 4, there is shown a basket 1 of common form which is usually woven of willow strips, although the present invention is not confined to an ordinary woven willow basket. In Fig. 1 the skeleton frame only of the basket is shown, and in the figure top side rails 2 and bottom side rails 3 are displayed, while there is also shown an-intermediate longitudinal bottom rail l midway between the side rails, and in the complete basket these parts are all properly united, and the willow strips are interwoven so as to inclose them. i i

There is provided a handle 5 ordinarily made of a core 6 of suitable size having the ends inserted in the sides of the body of the basket and extendingpractically to the bottom rails 3. It iscustomary to wind the core 6 with a band 7 of willow or other suitable material both for ornament and protection of the hand ofthe person carrying the basket. This band Yin the ordinary type of baskets is anchored in the sides of the basket, and so aids in sustaining the load carried in the basket.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a reinforcement made up of two strands 8 of wire of suitable gage twisted together as shown at 9 through an appropriate length of the middle portion of the two strands, this twisted length being about that of the length of the handle 5 between the siderails 2. The twisted portion 9 is applied to the upper or outer surface of the core 6, and is there held by the wrap ping 7. Each strand 8 on both sides of the twisted portion 9 is given a turn about the corresponding rail :2 on opposite sides of the core Gwhere passing the rail, this turnbeing indicated at 10. The strands 8 are then carl spaced from the side rails 3.

ried through the corresponding sides of the basket adjacent to that portion of the core one of the extremities of the pair of wires or strands 8 is twisted about the rail 13, as indicated at 15, while the corresponding other -extremities of the wire strands 8 are twisted about the'rail 14, as indicated atlS. .When the extremities ofthe strands 8 are carried through the bottom of the basket and "are both joined to the single rail 4 all strain upon these strands tending to pull them away from the middle of the basket is resisted by the opposite pulls of the respec- "tive opposite ends of the strands where en- 7 tained by these strands.

circling the one rail {L Where two intermediate rails 13, 14 are provided the mutual action is not directly upon one rail, but is exerted through the intermediate woven portions of the bottom of the basket.

In the finished basket the wire strands are invisible, being hidden by the wrapping 7 and by the woven material constituting the walls of the body portion of the basket. Such a basket may be loadedto the capacity of the strength of the body portion without danger to the handle, for the wire strands 8 form a strong reinforcement without the strands being of unduly heavy gage, and the Walls and rails of the basket are well sus- Even the bottom of the basket is held against undue sagging by the strands sincetheir tendency is to pull oppositelyfacross the bottom of thebasket and so sustain the load directly by the handle, which load would otherwise have to be sustained by the bottom and sides of the basket up to the handle.

While the invention is shown as applied to a generally rectangular basket, it will be understood thatit may be applied to any shape of basket whether rectangular or oval .or round or otherwise formed.

The wire strands where extending from top to bottom of the side walls of the basket on opposite sides of that portion of the core 6 of the handle entering the sides of the basket may diverge, as indicated in the drawings, so as to support the-bottom rail 3 on each side of the basket at considerably spaced points and from thence the strands may converge as indicated as they approach the middle rail 4 or the intermediate rails 13 and 14. It will be understood, of course, that the gage of wire employed will vary in accordance with the size of the basket and the load for which it is intended.

lVhat is claimed is 1. A basket having sides and a bottom and also having a handle, and a reinforcement comprising wires attached to the handle with their ends extended through the side walls of the basket on opposite sides of the handle where entering the side walls and from thence directed across the bottom of the basket toward the center thereof and permanently secured to the bottom of the basket at the extremities.

2. A basket provided with a handle and with rails at the top and bottom of the sides and also intermediately of the bottom, and a reinforcement comprising wires attached to the handle with their ends extended through the side walls of the basket on opposite sides of the handle where entering the side walls and from thence directed across the bottom of the basket toward the center thereof and secured to the bottom of the basket at the extremities, the wires being twisted about the rails where meeting them.

3. A basket having sides and a bottom and also having a handle, and a. reinforcement member comprising strands of wire twisted together throughout a portion of their length with the twisted portion overriding the handle of the basket and secured thereto and the remaining portions of the Wire strands carried through the side portions of the basket on opposite sides of the handle and thence along the bottom of the basket with the extremities of the wires permanently secured to said bottom of the basket.

4:. A basket provided with a handle and with a body having top and bottom rails, and a reinforcement member comprising strandsof wire twisted together throughout a portion of their length with the twisted portion overriding and secured to the handle and with the ends of the wires twisted about the top and bottom rails of the basket adjacent to the handle and carried toward the'center portion of the bottom of the basket and there permanently secured to said bottom.

5. A basket provided with a handle and top and bottom side rails and an intermediate bottom rail, and a reinforcement member comprising strands of wire twisted to gether throughout the intermediate portion of their length with the twisted portion-se cured to the handle in overriding relation thereto and having the ends beyond the twisted portion each twisted about a corremamas I m sponding top and bottom side rail and thence carried to the intermediate bottom rail and having its extremity twisted there about.

6. A basket provided with a handle and top and bottom side rails and an intermediate bottom rail, and a reinforcement m mb'er comprising strands of wire twiste together throughout the intermediate portion of their length with the twisted portion secured to the handle in overriding relation thereto and having the ends beyond the twisted portion each twisted about a corresponding top and bottom side rail and thence carried to the intermediate bottom 1 rail and having its extremity twisted thereabout, the wire strands diverging on opposite sides of the handle from the top side rail to the bottom side rail.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing 20 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. C. 

